Genetic comparison of wild populations of Lepilemur septentrionalis and Lepilemur dorsalis using RAPID markers

The genetic polymorphism of Malagasy prosimian populations is studied by us ing RAPD markers, The analysis includes two Lepilemur septentrionalis popul ations of the area of Analamera separated by a deforested hill crest and on e population of L. dorsalis from the island of Nosy-Be. The genetic diversi ty is higher in the two populations of Analamera than in that of Nosy-Be an d the level of genetic differentiation is higher between the population of L. dorsalis and the two populations of L. septentrionalis than between the two populations of L. septentrionalis themselves. Despite the hill crest se parating the two populations of L. septentrionalis. our results demonstrate that they belong to one population, The respective roles of the geographic al barriers and the reproductive barrier between the two species, are discu ssed.